Aeroplane



' Nov. 10, 19 5. 1,561,108

C. M. PETTY AEROPLANE Filed Jan. 12, 1192.3 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. M. PETTY Nov. 10 1925- AEROPLANE Filed Jan. 12, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 c. M. PE'II'TY Nov. 10, 1925- AEROPLANE Filed Jan. 12, l923 4 She'ets-Sheet v 3 \& 4

Nov. 10, 1925- C. M. PETTY AEROPLANE FilKewd J 2 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 10,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'Q.

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Application filed January 12, 1928. Serial R0. 812,289.

It is aimed to provide a construction which is a complete aeroplane and generally improved over that 1n Letters Patent 1,360,976, issued to me on Novembr 30, 1920,

in that the present invention includes a steering gear of mechanism which is lacking in the patented structure.

Another object is to provide a novel steering and driving mechanism to be particular- 1y used with the plane means of the said patent. I

One more object is to provide a construction having upper and 'lower wings and otherwise different and improved over the patented structure.

It is further aimed to provide novel means whereby the possibilities of use of an aeroplane or the like in the matter of maneuvermg may be increased due to its more flexible drive and steering control.

Specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating one practical embodiment.

In said drawings I Figure 1 is a plan view of an aeroplane or airship constructed in accordance with my invention, partly broken away; Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a substantially central longitudinal sectional view thereof partly broken away and on an enlarged scale Flgure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal .sectional view through the machine taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

In reducing the invention to practice, an aeroplane or heavier than air type of air craft has been shown by way of example, it bein understood that the same may be a monop ane, biplane or otherwise. The fuselage is shown at 10 mounted upon ground wheels 11 supported in hangers 12 epending from the .fuselage. Upper and lower sustaining planes '13 and 14 are conneote-d together and to the fuselage 10 by suitable struts or a frame work at 15. The fuselage is open at 16 to provide the cockpit and within the fuselage the operators seat.

at .17 is provided. One or more stirrups 10 may be provided to assist the ilot in climbing into the fuselage and ru her or other mats or treads 13' may be provided on plane 13 to enable the pilot ta obtain a ,foothold thereon should it be necessary to climb thereon as for inspection or re air.-

The machine is adapts to be repelled in any suitable manner for instance y means of an engine at 18, which may be of the usual type, s eed and ca acity." The drive shaft of sai engine is esignated 19 and extends'forwardlytherefrom and throu h the fore end of the fuselage and has t e i main propeller 20, b means of a hub 21, journa ed on the she 19 and held in lace thereon as by means of a nut 22. Auxi 'ary or lifting propellers are provided at 23,

angularly d1sposed at opposite sides of the fuselage and having shafts 24 to which they are keyed, journaled in bearings 25 extending laterally of the fuselage. A gear casing 26 is located within the fuselage and the shafts 19 and 24 are journaled therein. On shaft 19 within'casing 26- a gear wheel .27 is keyed which meshes with gear wheels 28 keyed on the shafts 24 and located within the gear casing 26. Slidable along the shaft 19 and keyed or splined thereto at 19 so as to rotate therewlth is a clutch head 29. The hub 21 is hollow and-said head 29 and hub having coacting and engageable inclined clutch faces at 30 so that. the head may engage the hub and thus connect the propeller for driving or rigid relation with shaft 19. Clutch 29 may be operated by any Suitable means as from a lever 31 pivoted to a link 32 in turn pivoted to a link or leaf 33 pivoted at 34 on the casing 26. A link 35 is pivoted to lever 31 and in any suitable manner connected with the head 29 as by means of a yoke at 36, to which link 35 is pivoted and which yoke is disposed in an annular groove 37 provided about the u er-20 alone operates.

head ,29. Head 29 also a a an opening 38 at the fore end of the fuselage A to ide and reinforce the same and shaft 19.

a result, it, will be seen that operation 5 of the engine 18 wili through the medium of the shaft 1%), gear wheels 27 and 28 and shafts 24 impart movement to the lifting propellers 23. When desired, the ,lever 31 may be actuated so as to apply or release the is by hand if the size of'the machine permits;

or means may be connected totheQ-lver 31 so that it may be actuatedfrom ai'fconvenient location adjacent the seat 17."; Due to-the efl'ective frictional connection is afforded between head 29 and propeller If desired means may be provided toslide gear 27 out of mesh with gears 28 so that ropellers 23 may remain idle while propel- The'planes 13 are provided with ailerons at 39 and 40, respectively.- Novel means are. providedfor controlling the positiono'f'the ailerons 39 and 40, and to this end abearing 41,su1tably fastened as at 42 withmthe fuselage 10 and adjacent to the seat 17. A

rock shaft 43 is journaled in the bearing41 andhas an operatin arm or lever 44extendingtherefrom and plvoted thereto on a horizont-al axis as at 45. The forwardiend of shaft 43 has extensions 45 thereon to which cables 46 are attached and which'are also at-:

tached as at 47 to studs 48 depending from the ailerons 39. Said shaft 43 is held against longitudinal displacement relative to the bearing 41 by means of nuts 49 screw threadj ed on the shaft and abutting opposite ends of bearings 41. Cables 46 are of any suitable flexibile material and pass through the fuselage 10 plane 14 and over suitable guide pulleys at 50 located at various locations on the fuselage and plane 14. Rods 51 are pivoted fat 52 to the .plane'13 and 53 to the plane 14. Studs 54 rise from the ailerons 40 and a flexible cable 55 is connected to studs 54 at opposite ends, and passes for the most' part interiorly of the plane 13 and is guided over pulleys 56 located thereon. Ailero'ns 39 and 40 are pivoted on horizontal axes by means of hinges at 57 and 58 to the respect1ve planes 13 and 14. As a result, arm 44 may be rocked to the right orleft as desired which will rock the shaft 43 and thus draw the cables 46 and 55 and rods 57, imparting corresponding movement to the ailerons 39 and 40, on one side of the machine and opposlte movement to the ailerons 39 and 40 on the other side of'themachine, that is to say, when the ailerons on one side of the machine raise, the ailerons on the other S de of the machine lower and vice versa. The lever 44 may be manipulated by hand or by pressure of. the knee against the same -or otherwise aspreferred;

Laterally extending rear planes are provided at opposite sides of the fuselage 16 as :nected to the planes 59 on horizontal axes by means of hinges at, 61. Draw cords orcables .at' 59, being rigidly connected'tothe fuseofany suitable flexible material at 62 are Y fastened-to studs 63 on planes 60- and pass over guidepulleys 64 on the planes 59 and through ide 'openings into the fuselage 10. A ca 1e 62 is thus connected both below and above and to each of the planes 60 as best shown in Figure 3. The inner endsof 7 cables 62 areattached in any suitable manfact that the surfaces 30 are conical, a very ner to a control element or frame at 63 as to studs 64 thereof extending from a shaft 65 eration of the ailerons 39fand 40, a comma-- journaled on a-horizontal axis by means of .tion' is made between the arm 44 and controlelements 63 whichmay' be a rod 68 passing through said as at69. I

Thus whenthe arm 44 is rocked in either direction,- corresponding movement will be imparted through the cable 68 to the ele-" ments 63, tilting or rocking the latter from its fulcrum at 66 and drawing upon the cables 62 so as tocorrespondingly tilt or actuate the planes 60.-

The rudder is shown at 70 hinged on a substantially vertical axis as at 71 to a pin lever and to the elements 63 or bade 72 rigid with and rising vertically from the fuselage 10. Rudder 70 may be actuated or. swung in any approved manner, and to this end may have studs 73'extending laterally from opposite sides thereof and to which flexible cables 74 are fastened which pass through openings 75 in the fusela e 10 and are connected to the lever 75 pivoted at 76 to the bearing 41.

Lover 75 may be 0 erated by the feet and to this end have pe als at 77 preferabl upturned at their forward ends at 78 to acilitate better engagement with the shoes of the operator.

It will thus be seen that by actuating tht lever 75 through the medium of the foot or otherwise, that a drawing strain will be ex-.

erted on the cable 74 which will correspondingly turn the rudders 70 to steer the machine.

As merely a preferred embodiment has b9?!) illustrated and described, it is to be 1 understood that changes in the details may.

ried thereby, an aileron associated with said plane, a substantially tubular bearing arranged longitudinally within the fuselage and at an inclination, said bearin being open intermediate its ends, a roc shaft journaled in said. bearing against movement longitudinally of the bearing, means to actuate said alleron through rocking movement of said shaft, an auxiliary plane, a

control element for said plane movable on an axis at substantially a right angle to the rock shaft, a levenby means of which said shaft is rocked extending therefrom through the opening of the bearing, means connecting said lever to said shaft for movement independently thereof on an-axis sub-- stantially parallel to the axis of the control means, and a rod connection between said lever and control means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. v

CLAUDIUS M. PETTY. 

